Finding a balance in life is rarely easy.  For me, I have struggled to find a healthy balance between exercise, family time, work and everything in between!  I, like many Moms out there, am kept busy with the schedules of two children (5 and 7), a husband, a full-time job, and the desire to stay fit and healthy along the way.   I have the added pressure of being married to a man with a brain injury.  Jerry has come a long way, but most of the daily decision making and planning is left up to me.  Up until now, my ‘balance’ has not been healthy.  I had a running schedule that I followed religously that didn’t allow for more than one day of rest a week (if that).  I always work out early in the morning so that it doesn’t take time away from my family but I found that the daily grind of forcing myself to get up early to run only drained me in the long term.  I was fitting it all in but not feeling good!  Discovering Million Dollar Body has provided me with just what I was looking for and more!  I now have balance with my workout schedule and the added bonus of having access to incredible meal plans that go along with all of their programs.  I feel a renewed energy in my life.  I’m still running 5 days a week but I now have the added benefits of a great strength training routine (P90X) to supplement my running, and increased energy from my better diet!  I feel better, less stressed and yes, more balanced!

If you are reading my blog, I hope my words have helped you think of ways to find balance in your own life. Having balance, I think, is the key to sticking with any diet and fitness plan.  Without balance, the changes you make along the way may be difficult to adhere to.  Joining Million Dollar Body and working with an awesome coach has helped me develop a lifestyle that is so rewarding that it is easy to stick to it.  If you think I might be able to help you find balance, or you would like to do the same for others, check out Million Dollar body:  Just go to www.milliondollarbody.com/love2run to find out more about my transformation story and sign up!  From that site you can sign up as a Free Player by clicking on ‘Play the Game’, or you can join as a member or a coach!  Feel free to e-mail me at jlkkmc@aol.com with any questions.

I just returned from the Grand Canyon and it was a wonderful trip.  No P90X DVD’s, but managed to do some 7-minute abs and plenty of running.  It was a challenge to stick to the diet but I managed for the most part.  I miss my P90X routine though and I’m looking forward to having my ’schedule’ back.  One important thing I realized is that ‘life happens.’  We can’t always be on a schedule and sometimes you have to stray from your eating routine as well.  And, THATS OK!  Being fit and eating healthy are life-long habits.  They aren’t just something you do to lose weight or fit into that special outfit for your reunion

It’s important to keep in mind that there will always be times in our lives when our ‘routines’ are interrupted.  Instead of punishing yourself for going off the wagon or straying from your routine, just get back on track as soon as you can.  Once exercise and healthy eating become a way of life for you, the occasional deterrent won’t throw you off track.  For me, exercise has been a part of my life for awhile now, but the healthy eating aspect has been a challenge.  Fortunately, the P90X program comes with an awesome nutritional guide that helps keep you on track with healthy eating while you are doing the program.  I believe that good nutritional balance is the key to success for any exercise program.

The big news for me today is that I ran my first race since January and I ran a PR – only 1 second faster than the same race last year but I haven’t been running as much as I was last year either.  I truly believe that this success is due to the fact that my nutrition has been through a complete overhaul and the P90X DVD’s are already adding strength that I need to improve at running.  I eat to feed my exercise habits – and I look forward to the P90X workouts as much as I look forward to my next run!

Well, that’s all for this week!  Remember – BRING IT!

My family is heading out tomorrow for a week on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to do some camping.  I’m a little nervous since I just completed my first week of P90X and stuck to the Nutrition plan as well.  I’m going to bring some dumb bells and I’ll be able to maintain my fitness by doing some of the exercises from the videos (abs and arms).  I’ll maintain my cardio by running – luckily I’ll be in beautiful surroundings for that!  I know it will be a little more difficult for me to stick to my eating plan – no electricity, therefore, no blender for my morning smoothe.  But, I just got back from the store and stocked up on lots of fruits and nuts, soy burgers and healthy snacks.  I know it will still be a good week for me – just less structured.  Every once in awhile that is actually a good thing.   “Life” sometimes gets in the way of our plans but, no matter where you are, you can always fit in some sort of fitness.  Vacation is a time for family fun and relaxation!  I’m looking forward to hiking with my husband and the kids and exploring the Canyon – I know we will all have a wonderful time.  I’ll check in again next week and let you know how I did! 

Good morning and Happy Friday to all! I received my P90X DVD set yesterday and did my first ‘official’ workout today! I chose the Yoga DVD and it was wonderful – a great way to start my weekend. I also spent some time this morning (before the kids got up) to create a shopping list for the menu plan that goes along with the P90X program. I’m looking forward to trying out some of the great recipes included and can’t wait to start seeing the results! Yesterday was a track day for me and, fortunately, I have a wonderful friend (and MDB coach) that is by my side for many of my runs now. Having a partner makes such a difference, whether it is on the track, in the gym, in your living room with the Million Dollar Body DVD’s. Together we can help each other stick to our goals and continue to get stronger and fitter!